Escape? But where? About ‘escape tourism’

Escape tourism seems to be difficult to define. It is related to many different kinds of tourism, including the so-called Robinson tourism. Given that escape tourists’ motives, ways of travelling and activities vary widely, the article deals with general conditions which may trigger the decision to undertake escape tourism. It also examines geographical spaces that are potential destinations for escapees thanks to their remote location or specific features. The article applies theoretical considerations to the consideration of Poland’s tourist space as a source of possible ‘escape destinations’, finding that geographical spaces traditionally considered suitable for escape tourism – borderlands, peripheries or geographical extremes – have decreased in importance as the phenomenon migrates towards less obvious places and forms of psychological refuge.